The 3HL from my buffalo variety album set

ad4400 · July 29, 2020 12:00PM

As a back drop, a bit over year ago I dialed back on collecting. While no longer pursing registry collections, I still do an album or two. I've been into buffalo's since I can remember, having fond memories of my grandfather taking me to coin shops as a small boy. My latest efforts have been on a buffalo variety set, and I've posted periodic NewPs here. A follow board member recently commented that it would be nice to see the 3HLs together, so here we go, along with some of my approach along the way.

For starters, the 3HL variety tends to be less dramatic until you know what you are looking at, and thus die markers became an important part of the hunt.

16-D: This is the least attenuated front leg of the bunch, and making it out on my newp was complicated by the grit by the front leg. What made it stand out is the horrid condition of the dies: note the moth eatan look on the Indians neck and the buffalo's belly, back, tail area and hind leg. Notice the 'gouge' look on the Indian's portrait and the die wear around the periphery on both sides. The F designer initial is weak. Some 16-Ds suffer from these afflictions and still have the full leg, but this look certainly gets you in the ballpark.

17-D: Level of polishing varies a good bit for this year, but my score was pretty obvious without a lot of detective work. That said, a die break from rim to tail is evident, as well as die gouge on buffalo's back directly below E of States (if you look really hard). If you can vastly increase magnification you can see a die scratch in the V of five. My example had the extreme die wear worn off the back legs and hind area, but higher grade examples have a very moth eaten look.

26-D: You can tell these just by looking at the obverse, note the weak feather and F designer initials. A further give away is a clash through EPU. These don't seem terribly difficult to find in circulated grades: I have two other lower grade ones that preceded the example below now in my album, and I cherried, attributed and sold an XF example. This one was about $20, just about the perfect bang for buck for the album.

27-D: Another one that you might not look at twice, but the give away for this one is how the bottom of the rear leg disappears into the rim. Other clues are a less crisp MM, also merging with rim, as does UNITED. I had been outbid a few times on similar grade ones where it caught the attention of other variety collectors, but this one was obtained on a BIN for non-variety price.

koynekwest · July 29, 2020 5:38PM

That's an impressive set, Alain. The '26-D is particularly nice! I still have most of mine with the exception of the '16-D.

LanceNewmanOCC · July 29, 2020 6:31PM

my fav is the 16-d by far. those dies were CRAPPY! but i guess that is the artistic side of numismatics. those really terrible dies produced a wonderful coin(s)! nice set you have there.